By Tiffany Williams –
It was chaos across the Northeast on Thursday, with a Boston firefighter walking free on bail after shocking child sex abuse allegations, a deadly crash in Massachusetts, a filthy Walgreens shut down again, school officials in trouble, violent attacks in New York and Philly, a major Connecticut plant closing, a packed animal shelter on the brink of euthanizing dogs, transit chaos in Philadelphia, a heroic firefighter saving a life mid-flight, and Sen. John Fetterman rushed to the hospital after a medical scare.
A Boston firefighter accused of sexually abusing a child for six years walked out on bail Thursday, even as disturbing details surfaced in court documents. Investigators say the alleged victim told Boston police that James Corbett began abusing her when she was 11 or 12, in her bedroom and other rooms of her home, and that the firefighter offered her money and gifts to keep her quiet.
In Georgetown, Massachusetts, a man was struck and killed Thursday evening in a crash on West Main Street. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said the victim was taken to Merrimack Health Haverhill Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police say the driver of the BMW 430xi Coupe stayed at the scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
In Roxbury, inspectors found chewed chip bags, mouse droppings and signs of cockroaches inside a Walgreens on Columbus Avenue. Boston’s Inspectional Services Department says it’s the fourth time this year the store has been hit with sanitary violations, with mouse droppings previously found in March, April and October.
In Middletown, Connecticut, the superintendent of schools was placed on administrative leave after a Thursday night vote. Alberto Vázquez Matos faces a DUI charge in Florida stemming from a July arrest in Brandon, where a police citation says he refused a breathalyzer.
In Bristol, Connecticut, a man convicted of sexually assaulting a child in his care thousands of times over several years has been sentenced. Prosecutors said 63-year-old Roger Barriault assaulted the girl for more than a decade and got her pregnant. His attorney said he was sentenced to 25 years, suspended after 10 years, with 20 years of probation, after being found guilty of first-degree sexual assault.
In Milford, Connecticut, nearly 300 workers are losing their jobs as Edgewell Personal Care announced the shutdown of its Schick manufacturing plant on Leighton Road. The company says the facility will close completely by the end of 2027.
In Brooklyn, a superintendent was killed while trying to stop someone from stealing packages in his apartment building’s lobby. Police say they found the victim, 41-year-old Burim Havolli, with severe head injuries Wednesday morning inside the Ocean Avenue building in Flatbush. He died later at Kings County Hospital.
In Newark, New Jersey, an overcrowded animal shelter says it may have to euthanize at least 10 dogs if it can’t find adopters soon. The Associated Humane Societies facility typically houses 120 to 125 animals but is now up to around 170, taking in about eight dogs a day and running out of space.
In Philadelphia, commuters were slammed with more Regional Rail cancellations as SEPTA scrambles to finish federally mandated safety inspections before a November 14 deadline. The agency canceled at least two dozen trains for Thursday and Friday on the Airport, Chestnut Hill West, Fox Chase and Warminster lines, warning riders of fewer rail cars, crowded trains and the possibility of last-minute stoppages.
A firefighter from Wildwood, New Jersey is being praised for his quick actions on a flight back from Florida. The city says Nicolas “Nick” Palmer jumped into action when another passenger suffered a medical emergency mid-air.
Also in Philadelphia, police say a man was stabbed in the chest Thursday afternoon at a Sunoco gas station on the 800 block of South Broad Street. Officers responded around 1:15 p.m. and found the victim inside the station.
And in Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman was hospitalized Thursday morning after what his spokesperson described as a fall following a heart issue near his home in Braddock. Out of caution, he was transported to a Pittsburgh hospital.